The Reason: Coach Hedge was not perfect. Not by a long shot. But there was something about Leo's death that made him want to be better. Leo was the reason he is who he is today. Based off of the song by Hoobastank, OOC Coach Hedge

Hello, everyone. For those of you still reading this series, I'm sorry I haven't been here in a while. I've actually had this chapter done for months and forgot to post it. Don't worry, though; I'm trying to post more one shots.

Also, Leo did not meet Calypso because I needed him to be actually dead, and not brought back from the dead, so...

Also, I have some individual one shots that are not apart of this story but are still apart of the series. I just decided to start putting the one shots in a story because it's more organized that way. If you love The Leo Valdez Song Collection, please check out these individual one shots:

Wildest Dreams

Skater Boy

Savin Me

Loved Her First

If You Could See Me Now

I'm With You

I'll Be Home For Christmas

How to Save a Life

Because of You

Already Gone

Disclaimer: I own nothing

I'm not a perfect person
There's many thing I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you

-"The Reason" by Hoobastank

Our story does not begin with Leo's death. No, it begins a little bit before that, exactly two weeks and three days before the explosion that ended Leo's life.

Coach was patrolling the halls as he did every night, peaking inside rooms to ensure that each demigod was safe in his or her bed like a good chaperone. And they all were... until he got to Leo's room.

If Hedge had been anyone else, he would've panicked, but that wasn't who Hedge was. He checked the bathrooms and the deck before making his way down to the control room.

That's where he found Leo, sketching some blue prints at his work table, tapping his foot in agitation.

Hedge leaned calmly against the doorframe, fiddling with his club. "You should really be asleep, cupcake."

Leo jumped, his pencils scattering and his hands flying to his tool belt as he spun around in his chair to face the coach.

He clapped a hand over his heart dramatically. "Geesh, Coach, give me a heart attack, why don't ya?!"

But Hedge barely comprehended his words.

Leo looked different, his skin paler than Hedge had ever seen it, and his clothes had definitely gotten baggier since Percy and Annabeth had fallen into Tartarus. But worst of all were his eyes. They were dull, lacking their usual spark, and sunken in, surrounded by dark circles and rimmed with red.

"What's wrong with you?" Coach asked as casually as he could. But even Coach, who was so laid back and easy going, was thrown by Leo's new appearance.

"Nothing, why? " Leo asked with a shrug.

"Kid, you look like you haven't slept since they fell into the Pit. What's going on?"

Leo shrugged his shoulders. "Just... memories. Worry for Percy and Annabeth."

Hedge snorted. "We're all worried for them, kid, but the rest of us haven't stopped eating and sleeping because of it."

"Well, it is my fault." Leo froze; he hadn't meant to say that! He must be more tired than he thought.

Coach frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? If it was anyone's fault, it was that spider lady's. What did you even have to do with it?"

"Coach, drop it."

"Leo-"

"I said drop it!" Leo muttered, his head leaning on his hand. "Look, I... I can't sleep. Nightmares, guilt, worry, stress... sleep is the last thing on my mind."

"It shouldn't be," Hedge pointed out. "You need it. What kind of nightmares are you having?"

"My mom's death, mostly, and Percy and Annabeth. That's about it," Leo replied.

"Well, I think I got something for that." Coach reached into his pocket and tossed Leo a very small bottle. "It's Dreamless Potion. I can make more of it, but the nightmares are rarely bad enough that the other cupcakes need it, so I make it a little at a time. One drop of that, and your nightmares will be gone all night."

Leo looked up shocked. "Thanks, Coach."

"Now, go get some sleep. You look dead on your feet."

He turned to walk out of the room before Leo called him back.

"Coach?"

He faced the teenager.

"I know you've been thinking about Mellie. Write to her, don't hesitate, because either you or she may not be here tomorrow," Leo advised. He unhooked an oval shaped necklace like a locket from around his neck and laid it on a shelf beside a framed picture of a beautiful woman holding a baby. "Don't forget that, Coach."

And Leo left.

*ONE WEEK AFTER BATTLE*

Little Chuck Leo Hedge waved his tiny hooves and pudgy hands as Hedge held him. No one except him and Mellie knew Chuck's middle name and they intended to keep it that way; Coach would never live it down!

Leo had died a few hours after Chuck was born and Coach found comfort only as he held his son.

Coach wasn't the same as he was before the war, or even during it. He was kinder, more openly caring; more like a loyal protector than a violent general. He blamed the change on the mission, but he knew that the change had been brought on by Leo.

There was just something about Leo that made him want to change for the better. Maybe it was because Leo was stronger than the other heroes in a way that was not seen as strength, but definitely was.

When Percy went missing, Annabeth flipped. She was constantly yelling at people, treating the Hephaestus kids like dogs as she worked them to death. And it wasn't that Annabeth was a bad person; she just didn't handle grief well.

Jason was strong, but he put his personal needs over the world. He wanted to keep Piper safe; he'd turn himself over to Gaea in the blink of an eye to protect her, even if it destroyed the world as we know it. He wanted to be a hero, he'd do it, even if it got him killed and jeopardized the fate of everyone. It's just who Jason was, and it didn't make him a bad person, but Coach wouldn't want him to be his second in command. Call him crazy, but that's the truth.

McLean... well, she was great, but she was afraid of her powers. Valdez was too, but he understood when he needed to use them and he did. Piper never used her powers, even if it would've saved them a lot of trouble.

Zhang was brave, but he was what Coach called territorial. If Valdez even stood within a foot of Levesque, Zhang would go in for the kill. Leo may have had a crush on Hazel once, but when he realized that she was Frank's girl, he backed off and Frank still didn't trust him. Hedge can only imagine how much that affected Leo.

And Levesque... she let her past get in the way, and even if it may be painful, they all had painful pasts. Valdez, Zhang, and Grace lost their moms; Piper and Annabeth rarely saw their dads. They didn't let their pasts affect them. Hazel broke Leo's heart by treating him like Sammy, saying that Sammy was better than him. She didn't know how to stop comparing her then and now.

Jackson was second in line, but just like Jason, he put his friends above the world. He'd die for Annabeth and wound up getting a hundred other people killed than watch her die and the world live. It was just how he worked, and loyalty was a good trait... unless it got out of hand.

Valdez, though... he knew when to be loyal to his friends and when to put the world first. He'd risked not only his own life in that explosion, but the lives of several others to rid the world of Gaea and allow the world to be safe... or at least safer. Even though he lost his mom, he didn't let that grief make him openly depressed like it did with some of the others. He took that sadness and he turned it into power and avenged his mother and all those that Gaea killed.

Coach Hedge brings his son to Leo's grave when Chuck is eight. He'd told Chuck stories of Valdez, but this is the first time Chuck will be seeing the grave of the war hero.

They stand there in respectful silence for a long time, but Hedge looses count. Finally, he instructs Chuck to return to camp where they were visiting Aunt Clarrise and the seven.

When Coach is alone, he sinks to his knees and gazes at the gravestone.

"I've changed for the better, Leo," he whispers. "I'm the best dad, best friend, best protector I could ever be. And the reason is you."

Coach leaves, but he's sure that he hears a laugh and a "You're welcome" from behind him.

To this day, he blames it on the wind.

I know the characters are OOC, especially Hedge, but I think deep down, he really cares for his cupcakes. After all, he saved them multiple times, so I just thought that off screen (off page?), he wasn't always the big tough guy we all know and love.

Alright, I'm going to list three of my ideas for one shots down below, and you can just vote in the reviews.

Leo and his mom- Flares by the Script

Leo and Gaea- Monster by Meg and Dia

Leo angst- Control by Halsey